A FURTHER 30 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Dorset over the last 24 hour period.

The breakdown of new positive cases confirmed in the county include nine in the Dorset Council area, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 11,516 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Tuesday (March 16) in the Dorset Council area, up from 11,507 the same time on Monday.

Meanwhile the number of recorded coronavirus cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by 21 in the same time period.

Public Health England figures show that 24,965 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Tuesday (March 16) in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, up from 24,944 the same time on Monday.

The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 5,294 over the period, to 4,268,821.

The county's cases were among the 214,982 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 232 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.